THE WAR IN AMERICA.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 86, 1 September 1863, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE WAR IN AMERICA.

SIEGE OF VTCKSBUEG.

i (From the Correspondent of the Argus ) j The report of the evacuation of Vicks- ! burg, telegraphed to you on the. 3rd inst., I proved to be erroneous. This stronghold | of the M issisippi still held out, according ito latest advices. The struggle which i raged around its entrenchments has en- | grossed almost exclusive attention throughout the month. It is felt that the great issue between the American belligerents is destined to be. decided, on this outskirt of the empire. Vicksburg promises to bee me the Saba.stopol of the war. Its defences are prodigiously strong, but General Grant has closely invested the place, and is already jn possessionof some ofits defensive works. Both sides are hurrying forward reinforcements — the Federal's having the advantage in respect to facility of communication aud superiority of position ; but the Confederate garrison hold defences against which an army might in vain throw itself. Hotrible carnage has followed the repeated assaults of General Grant, who has settled down to a regular siege of the place. All hope of carrying the stronghold by a coup domain has been abandoned, after suffering almost unparalleled slaughter. The garrison was in daily expectation of being relieved by General Johnston ; and the Federal General, after a series of brilliant successes, was generally' regarded as being in a very perilous position, if the Confederates only displayed their usual activity. A rapid sketch of ihe engagements by which the Federals were enabled to invest Vieksburg may not be unacceptable. All attacks on Vicksburg from the north or west having failed, it seems to have been determined to attempt a movement in its rear. This design was evidently of some standing, and preparations were being matured by General Grant and Admiral Porter while the attention 'of people was concentrated .on the Rapoahannoclc. This explains the object of the Federal flotilla on the Missisippi, and why uansporls and gunboats were so recklessly pushed by the batteries of Vioksburg. That City stands on the left or eastern bank of the Missisippi, just where the river makes a dei'p bend A little above it the Yazoo runs into the great stream, and a short distance below it the Big Black River does t!ie same. At the mouth of the Yazoo .•stands tlaines' Bluff, a position fortified by the Confederates; at tbe mouth of the Hig Black River were their batteries of Grand Gulf. Above thirty miles east of VicKsburg is the town of Jackson, an important strategical point, where the railway between Memphis and New Orleans, and that between Vicksburg and the east intersect. Whoever holds Jackson, accordingly, is in possession of the key of th-^ whole district, and has access to the rear of Vicksburg. To put himself in this advantageous position was the object of General Gram's expedition. By means of the co-operation of Admiral Porter, the Fedeia' general landed a force on the left bank of ihe Missisippi, ,at a place called Biuensburg, a little distance below Grand Gulf. Ue marched in a north-easterly direction for JacJc^on, with out meeting any considerable resistance. We read of only two engagements between Druensburg and Jackson — one on the Ist of May at Fort Gibbon, near the former place — the other at Raymond, only a short dist-mce from Jackson. With an activity unusual with the Federal?, General Grant pushed on towards that important town, and captured it before any effectual resistance could be organised. The Confederate forces in that region were divided ' between two commands. Within the lines of Vicksburg General Pemberton had a disposable army of some 15 000 men; while outside, in the open country, was General Joseph Johnstone with about 12,000 more. Grant encountered the latter, I and defeated them after a three hours, contest. Giving the Confederates no time to recover themselves, theFederals marched at once for Vicksburg. In advance of the Big Black River, however, at a spot called Edward's Station, their progress was arrested l»y General Pemberton, who had come out of his entrenchments to meet ' his invaders, and who, although numeric- ] ally far weaker than the Federals, contested their advance step by step. On the 16th, two daj's after the taking and burning of .Jackson, a bloody battle was fought at' Baker's Creek, or Kdward's Station, on tbe line of railway which runs direct from Jackso \ to Vicksburg. The Confederates were forced back, but made a stand the next day at a bridge over the Big Black River. The Confederates were again driven back, and oa the 18th General Grant invested Vicksburg. Meanwhile, on the loth, Admiral Porter sailed up from below Vicksburg to Young's Point, above it, and sent his gunboats up the Yazoo River. lie succeded in driving tiie Confederates away from their entrenchments at Ilainea' Bluff to tbe north of the city, and on the 19th May the right of the Federal army rested on the Missisippi, and was in communication with Admiral Porte. On tlie 22nd an assault was ordered along the whole line of works. The attack was preceded by a heavy aitillery fire, continued for two hours, on all the exterior foris. The town itself had been shelled throughout the whole of ihe previous night from the Federal steamers and gunboats on the river. It was a combned naval and military attack by the flotilla from the western front of the city, and by the army outside the works to the east, or inland. On this line of defence they must have expended an enormous amount of labor, applied with the utmost engineering skill. The fortifications consist of a chiii n of forts girdling the city, and terminating on the bank of the river above and below the town. These forts are 800 yards apart, connected by deep eutrenehments — presenting in reality the face of a citadel of earthworks, seven miles in length from point to point. The Federals seem to have been totally unaware of the immense strength of these defences, and emboldened by their past successes, rushed against them with a blind confidence, which was speedily to be dispelled. One report oft he failure frankly admits thai the formidable character of the Confederate position was fatally underrated. " When our army advanced upon Vicksburg, it was confident of an easy conquest." -Bat every step of the advance was a disagreeable sui'prise. ''The ground in the rear of ihe city, and in front of the works, was found so broken, rugged, and wild, as to be almost impassable for artillery." These difficulties having been overcome with good military spirir and determination, the greatest difficulty of all then became visible. " The rebel fortifications were discovered to be very formidable. They were grass grown, showing that preparations to stand a siege on the land side had long been made." Besides this outer line, about a mile and a half from the centre of the town, there is apparently an inner line, close to the houses. There appears to have been a preliminary assault on the iDth or 20th,

which was simply a bold rush to the edge of the ditch in tbe centre of the position — a brief attempt to stand there, exposed, to a withering fire both in front and enfilading, ending in a rapid retreat. The brigade lost 800 men in twenty minutes. But the grand test of the strength of the works was made on Friday, May 22, when an entire army was thrown forward against these fortified lines. The first "storming party'' consisted of three dirisions.. Twice they were repulsed, but a third- assault was made, and the assailants were again driven back, this time wiih greater slangh • ter than has occurred during any engagement of the war in so short a space of time. One Federal report states that 2500 men fell in half an hour. Af er this terrible disaster, General Grant relinquished all hopes of storming the place, and betook himself to the slow and lormal process of digging, delving, and entrenching. A regular siege was resolved on. General Pemberton was said to have provisions adequate for a month's be/eaguerment, and long before the expiration of that time reinforcements may be expected. The last accounts from New York, to the 13th, represent Vicksburg and Port Hudson as still holding out gallantly. Generaf Grant reports that the siege of the former was progressing satisfactorily, but the Southern advices state that Geuer 1 Pemberton has announced his confidence of holding the fortress, and that General Johnstone was to take his time to organize his forces. The latter was concentrata large force, and his attack on the Federal rear would not be long delayed. As a preliminary movement, it is said that the Confederate General Kirby Smith had occupied Milliken's Bend, above Vieksburg cutting otf General Grant's supplies. Geneivtl Banks was pushing the siege of Port Hudson, but accounts from Mobile assert shat the Federals had been repulsed and the general had lost his arm.

Simultaneously with the preceding operations, General Banks has been attempting to take Port Hudson by storm, but with no better success than his brother commander at Vicksburg. A desperate assault was made by some 20,000 men, in four (o'umns, commanded by Generals Weitzel, G rover, Auger, and Sherman. An attack was also delivered from theriver at the same time. The onset of the land forcesis described as having been made with " un paralleled fury]" but it was all in vain ior the, assailants were beateu back with frightful carnage. The Federals admit a loss of nearly :i,OOO men in the first day's battle, exclusive of 600 out of 800 negroes of the 2nd Louisiana Regimenl, and also a '* heavy loss," tr.named, on the second day, when the contest was renewed. The Federal loss in oKicers of high rank in killed and wounded is unuallysevere, betokening thai the struggle has been one of unusual obstinacy. General Sherman has died of the wounds received iu the assault.